6 March 1777

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lucy Knox

Expresses his love for her and his sadness at being forced to part again. Mentions his travel plans as well. After months apart the couple was finally able to see each other when Washington sent Knox to Boston to recruit men and examine artillery production. But Knox could only stay a few days before he had to rush on to the next stop on his trip.

GLC02437.00544

10 March 1776

Washington, George, 1732-1799

Letter

Title: to Henry Knox

"His Excellency," George Washington, compliments Colonel Knox, asks him to come to headquarters immediately, and invites him to dinner at 2 o'clock that night. The letter must be from 1776, since this is the only year in which Knox is a Colonel in March. He would also be in camp with Washington at Boston at the time.

GLC02437.00546

16 March 1777

Jackson, Henry, 1747-1809

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Colonel Crane has been authorized to give twenty pounds as a bounty to those he enlists in the regimental artillery. But Boston is offering a town bounty of fifty pounds for anyone who joins the local army, and this is making recruiting very difficult. Suggests the only way to fill the artillery will be with men from other units, but has his doubts about this as well. Wishes that George Washington would issue an order putting the artillery on equal footing for recruitment. Feels that the other officers, who gave up a lot while fighting, deserve better than their current situation.…

GLC02437.00550

20 March 1777

Knox, William, 1756-1795

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Mentions his plan to "enter the Service" once he raises a certain sum, which he is confident he will have soon. He has bought two hundred pounds worth of quills, paper, and similar articles from Newburry, and thinks they will be easy to turn a profit on since they are scarce in Boston. William and Lucy Knox had reopened the bookshop that Henry had operated before the war, and tried to sell these items there. States that he ran into Joshua Wentworth of Portsmouth, who informed him of the arrival of a French vessel carrying a large cargo of arms for the Continental Army. French officers…

GLC02437.00555

23 March 1777

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Knox

Says that since William's happiness is important to him, he will not prevent his brother from joining the army once William has completed certain essential family business. Arranges for William to pick up his baggage from various spots in New England. Asks William to purchase clothing for him, and advises him to learn to ride before joining the army. Believes "if we had our army or a large part of it on the Spot we should be able to give Great Britain so deep a wound that the very remembrance of it would make her bleed...more for fifty years hence - every thing however is right & all…

GLC02437.00556

February 12, 1777

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Joseph Hoff

Orders Hoff to deliver to Colonel Stewart an order for "ten tons Grape Shot mostly the larger with some small." Sent to Hoff at Hibernia Furnace, New Jersey. Docket states that the document is a copy.

GLC02437.00532

February 13, 1777

Treat, Samuel, fl. 1775-1777

Autograph note signed

Title: to Ezekiel Cheever

Asks Cheever to deliver "twenty five yards of that White Duffle you have in your possession & two or three coats" to Lieutenant James Hall. Docket, signed by Hall, states that he received thirty yards of "Duffle," five coats, and "one Laced Hatt"

GLC02437.00533

February 16, 1777

Sutton, Thomas, fl. 1776-1777

Manuscript document

Title: [Receipt for coats and a hat]

States that three Regimental Coats intended for enlisted artillery soldiers and one lace hat had arrived from ordnance. Promises to be accountable to General Knox for these goods. The name at the bottom of the document is illegible.

GLC02437.00535

February 26, 1777

Hill, Stephen, fl. 1777

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Receipts for coats and duffle]

States that Murphy received a coat and two and a half yards white duffle for ordnance, and that Hill received a coat and four yards white duffle. Each has signed their name next to the goods they received. Murphy's name is spelled Murffey, and he signs with his X above where his name has been written.

GLC02437.00537

February 25, 1777

Sutton, Thomas, fl. 1776-1777

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Request for coat]

Requests one coat for Sergeant Petty. Written to "the Conductor of Artillery at Fishkills." Written at Fort Constitution. Endorsed on verso by Abiel Pettie.

GLC02437.00538

February 26, 1777

Noyes, Dudley, fl. 1775-1779

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Receipt for a coat and duffle]

States that Noyes received one "Regimental coat" and two and a half yards of white duffle.

GLC02437.00539

1 March 1777

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Abraham Livingston

Orders Captain Livingston to obtain 5000 tents for next spring for General Thomas Mifflin. Orders him to "get the cloth for tents and get them made into tents each to hold six men." Also orders him to draw any necessary funds from General Mifflin.

GLC02437.00540

1 March 1777

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph manuscript

Title: Construction of a carriage for cannon which have their trunnions broken off [incomplete]

Drawing of a special carriage for a cannon, with the comment "A carriage for a Cannon if the trunnions be broken off. Many Cannon are mounted upon this construction at Boston." Trunnions are the knobs on both sides of a cannon that form the axis on which it pivots and hold it in place. Title from docket. The lower portion of the document may be missing.

GLC02437.00541

3 March 1777

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph document

Title: [Description of an artillery laboratory]

Plans for an artillery laboratory with "room for 60 men to work," store rooms, "an air furnace," shops for fifty carpenters, forty smiths, twenty wheel makers, as well as tin men and harness makers, "in all about 200 artificers." Plans also call for barracks for the workmen, as well as an academy there for the study of gunnery, a powder mill and magazines full of arms and powder. Text lost at the bottom of the document.

GLC02437.00542

4 March 1777

Arnold, Benedict, 1741-1801

Manuscript letter

Title: to Lucy Knox

Later copy. Has enclosed a letter for "the heavenly Miss DeBlois," a friend of Lucy's, which he wishes Lucy to pass on to her. Has also sent a trunk of gowns to Lucy's house via Mr. Colburn, intended for Miss DeBlois. Also asks Lucy to report to him about Miss DeBlois when she next sees her. A newspaper clipping, the obituary of one of Arnold's sons, is attached to the document. The copy was made around 1855.

GLC02437.00543

9 March 1777

Clark, William, fl. 1777

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Receipt for ordnance and duffel]

States that Clark received two and a half yards of white duffle and half a yard of "Ozenb" from ordnance store. "Ozenb" is short for Ozenbrig, another name for the fabric Osnaburg. Osnaburg was a coarse linen fabric first manufactured in Prussia, but the name often was used to refer to coarse cotton similar to the original. These fabrics were often used to make various inexpensive pieces of clothing, including trousers, shirts, and jackets.

GLC02437.00545

11 March 1777

Niles, Jeremiah, 1749-1829

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Receipt for a coat]

States that one coat was received from Ordnance for Alexander Clark. Niles signs for it and writes that he will be accountable for it.

GLC02437.00547

12 March 1777

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Manuscript document

Title: [Record of payments]

States that Jeremiah Niles and Henry Burbeck have been paid for time served in 1776. Verso is signed by Thomas Proctor. Likely written at Fishkill, New York, where these men were stationed at the time.

GLC02437.00548

12 March 1777

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lucy Knox

Arrived last evening after a long trip. The roads past Hartford were so bad that "the Slay" and much of the baggage had to be abandoned. Has heard a report that at Spanktown, modern day Rahway, "our people" killed and wounded five hundred of the British during a foraging raid. Expresses his anguish over parting with her. Warns her that smallpox is spreading near her, and suggests "you and your little image" get inoculated. Warns her not to drink or stay too near fire afterward. Asks her to take care of some business affairs, saying "this is making you quite a woman of business." Also…

GLC02437.00549

16 March 1777

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Alexander McDougall

Has procured a large amount of shot from Ogden, the owner of a local iron works. Asks McDougall to procure a vessel from the quartermaster at Peekskill on which to send the shot to Albany, where it is badly needed by General Schuyler at Ticonderoga. Ogden most likely refers to Uzal Ogden, 1705-1780, a local iron manufacturer.

GLC02437.00551

18 March 1777

Knox, Lucy Flucker, 1756-1824

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Badly misses Henry and hopes to hear from him, her only comfort being her young baby, Lucy Flucker Knox. Hopes that he cries when thinking of her hardships. Reports that William Knox, who she calls Billy, has set out for Newburg, in order to purchase stationery which he hopes to sell. Lucy and William Knox reopened the Boston bookstore that Knox had operated before the war began. They tried to sell other stationery items, but were not very successful. Notes that a shipping embargo may begin soon, but feels that it is "privateering" to take the goods of those "innocent people" who are not…

GLC02437.00553

20 March 1777

Jackson, Henry, 1747-1809

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Reports "News Glorious News" that a French ship loaded with artillery and arms for the Americans landed at Portsmouth last week. Also carried French officers "well recommended by Doct. Franklin" and an account stating that a similar ship will soon arrive with more weapons. Also reports that two "Fine Prize Ships" worth 50,000 pounds were recently captured from the British. Many of these same events are mentioned in GLC02437.00555. Wishes to know if he should still try to recruit men for a regiment. Notes that he has begun training a number of men to play the fife, and hopes to retain a…

GLC02437.00554

23 March 1777

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lucy Knox [incomplete]

The first page or pages of the letter are missing. Feels it is wrong that other officers were promoted over the more senior Benedict Arnold. Worries this action will push Arnold out of the service, and hopes it is remedied. The lack of a promotion would offend Arnold, and was one of the many slights that contributed to his defection years later to the British side. Requests various articles of clothing and expresses his love for her. Asks her to number her letters, as he has begun doing, so they can easily be referenced in the future.

GLC02437.00557

25 March 1777

Knox, William, 1756-1795

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Continues the discussion about raising money from his last letter, GLC02437.00555. Still believes that he will soon have raised the necessary funds, and will then be free to join the army. Hopes to receive the quills, wax, etc. that day. A French General has arrived and met with General Heath, and more French ships are expected. The General is most likely Phillipe Charles Jean Baptiste Tronson du Coudray.

GLC02437.00558

February 17, 1773

Manuscript note

Title: [Receipt]

Appears to be a bill for 50 yards of Irish linen and 8 yards of baize that Thomas Flucker bought from Joseph Palmer & Sons.

GLC02437.08311